Tag Archives: ALA

Academic, General, School Media Specialist

LITA Forum 2015 Summary: A CMLE Scholarship

The following post was submitted by CMLE Scholarship recipient, Violet Fox, College of St. Happy Holidays!Benedict/St. John’s University Metadata Librarian.

I was able to attend LITA Forum 2015 (sponsored by the American Library Association’s Library and Information Technology Association division) in Minneapolis in November. It was my first time at LITA Forum, which is designed for those working on the cutting edge of technology to bring innovative services to library users. I found the Forum unique in its focus on experimentation and sharing—many speakers encouraged attendees to “get their hands dirty” and try out new projects.

I attended a number of sessions focused on how the shift to Linked Data can open new methods of research and discovery. Making resources easy to find and providing new ways to present data were on the minds of many at the Forum. Particularly interesting to me were the ways that people were working with legacy data and finding ways to effectively manipulate disparate metadata. Again and again I heard common themes emerge: thorough documentation and user testing are essential components of any project, as well as flexibility in responding to changing needs.

I found Mx A. Matienzo’s keynote especially inspiring. Director of Technology for the Digital Public Library of America, Matienzo discussed how the good intentions of libraries can lead to shortchanging our users by speaking over their voices. Matienzo also reminded attendees to be vigilant in keeping our communities in mind, empowering them to interpret their own past and shape their own future. The keynote made me reconsider the value that libraries have (perhaps unthinkingly) placed in centralization of knowledge organization—one-size-fits-all doesn’t necessarily apply to controlled vocabularies or classification schemes, so how can we create systems that work best for our local users?

A list of presentations and posters from LITA Forum (many of which have accompanying slides) can be found at the wiki.  I’m so grateful for the opportunity to attend my first LITA Forum, and I’m looking forward to experimenting with the implementation of new features for my own library’s catalog.

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Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Booklist: Andrew Carnegie Medal Finalists

[79/365] Used to think maybe you love me, now baby I'm sureIn February we brought you the longlist for the Andrew Carnegie Medals, now we can bring you the shortlist!  3 books in each category – fiction and nonfiction – are left!  The two winners will be announced at the ALA (American Library Association) Annual Conference on June 27th!  Here’s what the competition has come down to. . .

Fiction

  • All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
  • Nora Webster by Colm Toibin
  • On Such a Full Sea by Chang-Rae Lee

Nonfiction

  • Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
  • The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
  • Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David by Lawrence Wright

Check out the details on the finalists here!

For more on the ALA Conference and other events, be sure to check out our Events/Initiatives page!

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Check this out:, Public, School Media Specialist

Hats Off to School Libraries!

SLM Banner

2015 is  the 30th Anniversary of School Library Month (SLM)

The theme?  “Where Learning Never Ends.”  SLM is sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).  AASL says that the annual celebration is an initiative where “school librarians are encouraged to create activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school library programs play in transforming learning.”

 Julianne Moore: 2015 National Spokesperson

Julianne Moore Besides being known for her role in the final two ‘Hunger Games’ films, Moore is also a bestselling author.  She wrote “My Mom is a Foreigner, But Not to Me,” which was inspired by her mother, a Scottish emigrant to the United States.  Moore’s children’s books, the Freckleface Strawberry series, “share the message that ‘the things that make you different also make you, YOU’.”  She has also created two apps based on the series.  Terri Grief, president of AASL, is excited that “everyone who sees these will recognize this fabulous celebrity and her wonderful commitment to literacy.”  In regards to why Moore is happy to be this year’s spokesperson, she said:

“School libraries make a difference.  I moved around a lot as a young child, and the first place I would visit in a new place was the school library.  The librarians guided me, encouraged me, and set the stage for my lifelong love of reading.  As educators, school librarians have a tremendous impact on our students’ personal and intellectual growth.  School libraries foster creativity, innovation, play, and experimentation and offer a nurturing, and safe place for children to learn.  I have a lot of love for librarians.”

  AASL will Present Free Weekly Webinars

Attendance at the live webinars below  is open to all. Only AASL members and AASL eCOLLAB subscribers will have access to the webinar archive. A seat in the live webinar is guaranteed to the first 100 attendees. As a webinar registrant, you will receive follow up correspondence from AASL.

CMLE would like to thank all school library personnel for the important support  they provide to administrators, teachers and students. The work is hard, and your efforts matter, so keep up the good work!

Happy School Library Month!

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Booklist: Andrew Carnegie Medal Books for Consideration

'Cozy Cabin', United States, Wisconsin, PhillipsThe booklists just keep on coming!  This time, the list features those books that are under consideration for the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction.  The Andrew Carnegie Medals “were established by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and ALA (American Library Association) in 2012 to recognize the best fiction and nonfiction books written for adult readers.”  ALA also says in their press release that the nominations’ selection by committee reflects “the expert judgement and insight of library professionals who work closely with adult readers.”

The 43 books will be narrowed down to 6 by late April – that’s when the three finalists for Fiction and the three finalists for Nonfiction will be announced.  The 2 winners will be announced at the ALA 2015 Annual Conference in San Francisco on Saturday, June 27 (the conference runs June 25-30).  See the full list of books for consideration here.

Our Events/Initiatives calendar features the ALA conference as well as other library events!

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/ndcl759, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0